Ski rope retriever



Jul 22, 1969 a. 5. FARR 3,456,891

SKI ROPE RETRIEVER Filed June 7. 19s? v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR FF 2[an/z a. PAPA July 22, 1969 E. D. PARR 3,456,891

SKI ROPE RETRIEVER Filed June 7. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I i .2 4/ {E 401' :2 I/

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9 Mn 42 43 5 INVENTOR United States Patent M US. Cl. 242-54 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention consists of a metal box-likehousing in which is located 'a rope retriever containing a reel that ismounted on a shaft. The reel is rotated by means of an endless belt thatalso passes over the pulley of a torque converter. The torque converterembodies circular weights that are housed in a small drum which isprovided with an internally mounted friction lining against which theaforesaid weights press when the torque converter is activated by meansof a small electric motor. The motor is also located within the sameaforesaid housing in which the torque converter is rotated by an endlessbelt.

It is the principal obect of this invention to provide a ski roperetriever of the character described that contains a minimum number ofparts; the retriever being compact in size and light in weight.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ski rope retriever thatcan be mounted on any place in a power boat that is to tow a waterskier.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a ski roperetriever of the character herein described that embodies a torqueconverter that will permit the tow rope to reel out again when theoperator releases the operating push button.

Further objects of this invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of this invention, taken substantially alongline 22 of FIGURE 1, and viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of this invention, taken substantially alongline 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of this invention, taken substantially alongline 44 of FIGURE 2, and viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows. The view is rotated ninety degrees.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of this invention, taken substantially alongline 55 of FIGURE 2, and viewed in the direction indicated by thearrows.

In the several views of the accompanying drawings, like parts areindicated by like reference numbers.

Looking first at FIGURE 1 of the accompanying drawings, it will be seenthat this invention consists of a boxlike housing in which is locatedthe reel 11 that is freely mounted on the shaft 12, that has each endsupported by a bearing 13 which is mounted on the walls 14 and 15 of theaforesaid housing 10. Only one of the aforesaid bearings, 13 and theaforesaid walls, 14, is visible in FIGURE 1 which also shows in phantomlines the torque converter 16 and the electric motor 17 as well as twoendless belts which are not numbered at this time.

Directing ones attention now to FIGURES 2 and 4 of the accompanyingdrawings, it is noted that the aforesaid reel 11 is made up of a drum 20having two side plates 21 and 22. The last mentioned side plate 22 hasan outwardly projecting peripherally located member 23 that 3,456,891Patented July 22, 1969 is at right angle to the aforesaid plate 22,thereby providing a unique type of trouble-free pulley. On this pulleyis located the endless belt 24 that also encompasses the small pulley 25of the torque converter 16 which is mounted on the shaft 26 that in turnis supported at each end by the bearing 27 which, like the aforesaidbearing 13, is mounted on the inside of the wall 14 and 15. It should benoted at this time that FIGURE 2 clearly shows that the two side plates21 and 22 of the reel 11 are firmly held in place on the ends of theaforesaid drum 20 by means of a plurality of bolts 28. The aforesaiddrum 20 encompasses the hub 29 in the center of which is located thebronze bushing 30, as one can well see by examination of FIIGURE 2 ofthe accompanying drawings.

Looking now at the aforesaid torque converter 16, which is shown insection in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that this part ofthe invention consists of a hollow circular member 31 that is integralwith, and part of, the aforesaid pulley 25. A pair of circular ringweight sectors 32 are located within the just mentioned hollow circularmember 31. The weight sectors are swingably pinned at one end to thewall 33 of the pulley 34 by the pin 35, thereby permitting the peripheryof each sector to press against the inside of the friction lining 36that is bonded to the inside of the aforesaid member 31, as one can seeby examining both FIGURES 2 and 5 of the accompanying drawings. Theaforesaid small pulley 25, that is part of the torque converter 16, isfree to rotate about shaft 26 but is limited in movement longitudinallyof said shaft 26 by a collar and set screw 37, shown only in FIGURE 2 ofthe accompanying drawings. Here it is likewise seen that the aforesaidpulley 34 is also secured to the same shaft 26 by the set screw 38. Eachof the aforesaid circular ring sectors 32 is prevented from having itsfree end drop too far inward from the aforesaid friction lining 36 bymeans of the stop pin 38' that is located under the free moving end ofeach ring sector 32.

Looking now at FIGURES l, 2, 3, and 4, it will be seen that theaforesaid pulley 34 is encompassed in part by the endless belt 39 thatalso encompasses in part the pulley 40 that is secured to the outer endof the shaft 41 of the aforesaid electric motor 17.

The only major part of this invention that has not so far been mentionedin any detail is the tow rope 42 that is wound around the aforesaid reel11 to which one end of the rope is firmly secured. The other end of therope 42 passes through the rope guide 43 that is secured to the floor 44of the aforesaid box-like housing 10, and the tubular thimble guide 45that is both secured to, and projects through, the end 46 of the housing10.

It will be understood by those experienced in the art, after they haveexamined the accompanying drawings and read this specification, that thetorque converter 16 will begin rotating the aforesaid reel 11 by meansof the already mentioned belt 24. An electric push button 47, that isshown in FIGURE 4 of the accompanying drawings, is mounted in anyconvenient place on the boat which is also not shown in the drawings,the push button being connected to both a source of electric power 48,such as a storage battery, and to the aforesaid electric motor 17 whichthe push button will energize when pushed inward by the operator of thedevice which usually means the operator of the boat. When the pushbutton is released, the torque converter 16 disengages from the electricmotor 17 and the reel 11 is then free to reel out the rope 42 again. Theaforesaid torque converter 16 will also slip or spin if its operatorholds the push button after the rope 42 has been wound in.

provided a new and novel ski rope retriever that fullfills all of theaforesaid objects of this inveniton and others.

What -I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A ski rope retriever of the character described, comprising a boxlike housing, a reel rotatably mounted within the housing, a ski towingrope wound upon the reel, which rope passes through an opening in thehousing, a torque converter having two pulleys, each pulley rotatablymounted within the housing, an electric motor mounted within thehousing, a driving connection between the motor and one of thesepulleys, a second driving connection between the other pulley and thereel, the torque converter also including centrifugal means to directlyconnect the two pulleys when the motor is operating and to disconnectthese pulleys when the motor is deenergized and a manually operatedswitch and a source of electric power connected to the motor.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein both the said reel and the saidtorque converter are mounted on separate but parallel shafts that havetheir ends supported by bearings that are located on the inside of twoparallel and spaced walls of the said box-like housing.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the first mentioned drivingconnection is an endless belt.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein the second mentioned drivingconnection is an endless belt.

5. The invention ,,of claim 4, wherein the said pulleys are aligned, thesaid other pulley is integral with a hollow cylindrical member extendingtoward the first mentioned pulley, a friction lining periphery bonded tothe inside of the hollow member, a plurality of circular ring weightsectors located within said hollow member adjacent to said lining, pinsextending through one end of each weight sector, each pin secured to theadjacent wall of said first mentioned pulley.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,196,015 8/1916 Nelson 192-103 X2,749,696 6/1956 Innes 192103 X 3,000,587 9/1961 Goode 24286.5 3,029,0414/1962 Child. 3,034,742 5/ 1962 Reynolds. 3,043,259 7/1962 'Sadler.3,162,395 12/1964 Bray. 3,195,831 7/1965 Shriner et al. 3,197,004 7/1965 Salbury 192-103 X 3,315,914 4/1967 Turner. 3,333,662 8/1967 King etal 192-103 X WILLIAM S. BURDEN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 1l4235;242-86.5

